Western Front - 2004 September 28

              WHALE WATCH
One last look at the orcas
before they are gone.
Features, Page 6
A GALAXY FAR AWAY
Lucas' changes ruin sanctity of
"Star Wars."
Opinions, Page 10
STREAK ON
Volleyball extends its home-match
winning streak to 21.
Sports, Page 8
Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
ISSUE 3
Volume 131 The Western Front Tuesday
Sept. 28, 2004
Western battles back
Viking gridders
defeat Wildcats in
'Battle in Seattle'
For two quarters, Western's football team
appeared completely out of sync, but a hot
start and finish helped the Vikings to a vic­tory
against the rival Central Washington
University Wildcats.
Western outscored Central 28-0 in the first
and fourth quarters on its way to a 28-21
win in the Wells Fargo Battle in Seattle pre­sented
by Comcast Saturday at Qwest Field
—=———-====== in Seattle.
Full coverage: Central led 14-10 at half-
Game cover- time and opened up an 11-
age begins on P0Ult l e a d d u r m 8 m e m i rd
page 9. qu a r t e r , u t
= = = = = The Vikings struck back
in the fourth quarter.,West­ern
junior wide receiver Andy Olson caught a
6-yard touchdown pass, and senior kicker Mi­chael
Koenen nailed a 46-yard field goal. Ol­son
then caught a 29-yard pass that set up the
Vikings' final score, Western junior running
back Jake Carlyle's 3-yard touchdown run.
More than 11,000 fans attended the second
annual installment of the game.
Chris Taylor/The Western Front
Western's defense lines up for a goal-line stand against Central Washington
University at the Wells Fargo Battle in Seattle presented by Comcast Saturday
at Qwest Field in Seattle. Central scored on the play, but Western won 28-21.
Child porn case prompts calls for caution
By Cara Shaw
The Western Front
The city of Bellingham already has
received 138 reports of sex crimes in 2004,
but that number recently rose to 139.
Bellingham police officers arrested and
booked Michael Hinkel Sept. 16 into the
Whatcom County Jail under suspicion of
possession of child pornography.
Police arrested Hinkel pending an
investigation of possessing a depiction of a
minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct,
Bellingham Police Department Lt. Craige
Ambrose said.
Hinkel has been released from jail and is
awaiting the conclusion of the investigation,
a Whatcom County Jail Officer said
Thursday.
Ambrose said the investigation started
on Aug. 1 after a computer technician
discovered images of nude preteen females
while attempting to repair Hinkel's computer,
and he then reported it to the police.
The police used a warrant to search
Hinkel's residence for additional child
pornographic images, Ambrose said. The
police took Hinkel into custody at the time
of the warrant service, he said.
After searching Hinkel's home, laptop
and personal computer, officers recovered
no additional pornography, said Roy
Buckingham, Bellingham prosecuting
attorney for Hinkel's case.
SEE Pornography, PAGE 4
Library fights
FBI subpoena
for records
By Mari Bergstrom
The Western Front
The attorney for the Whatcom C ounty Rural
Library District revealed a memorandum
in support of a motion to quash a subpoena
filed on July 9 requiring the disclosure of
the names and addresses of people who
borrowed the book, "Bin Laden: The Man
Who Declared War on America" on Sept. 27
at Village Books in Fairhaven
The attorney, Deborra Garrett, said the
subpoena infringed on the constitutional
rights of those who borrowed the book by
Yos'sef Bodansky.
According to Garrett's memorandum to the
U.S. District Court in Seattle, a library patron
contacted Bellingham FBI agent James
Powers in June regarding a handwritten note
in the margins of the book from the Deming
branch of the library.
The note stated: "If the things I'm doing
is considered a crime, then let history be a
witness that I am a criminal. Hostility toward
America is a religious duty and we hope to
be rewarded by God."
Powers contacted the library district after
receiving this information, and requested
further information on the book, which an
unnamed library employee denied, according
to the memorandum.
The employee told Powers to contact
Garrett, who told him the library's policy
is to not release information regarding the
books people borrow without a subpoena.
"Fortunately, our library has a very strong
training program ... insuring that the staff
have a deep understanding of what the
expectations of the library are regarding
confidentiality," library district director
Joan Airoldi said.
SEE Library, PAGE 3
Taylor Avenue Dock opens along waterfront
Laura Greaby/The Western Front
Bellingham Major Mark Asmundson
speaks at the dock's ribbon-cutting
Sept. 24.
By Laura Greaby
The Western Front
After 26 years of planning and more than a
year of construction, the Taylor Avenue Dock
is complete, allowing the public to enjoy
scenery along Bellingham Bay between
downtown and the Fairhaven district.
Mayor Mark Asmundson officially
dedicated the dock with a ribbon-cutting
ceremony Friday.
The restored dock has a new 1,150 foot-long
concrete boardwalk that connects to
Boulevard Park.
Asmundson spoke about the construction
of the dock and its impacts on the Bellingham
community.
"This is a way for people to move around
without an automobile," Asmundson said.
He said future plans exist to expand the
boardwalk.
Bryon Elmendorf, the retired director
of the Bellingham Parks & Recreation
Department, attended the dedication as
well.
"We started master planning for the dock
in 1978," Elmendorf said. "It is exciting to
see it finally completed."
Leslie Bryson, head of design and
development for the project, helped obtain
funding from grants and plan the project
with the consultants.
Bryson also helped obtain necessary
permits required for the project, which she
said was a difficult process due to possible
contamination in the area.
The dock was a canning factory when
first built and later became a cargo deck
that released pollution and debris into the
area, according to the printed program at the
dedication.
The Taylor Avenue Dock was built in the
late 1800s, according to the program.
Approximately 100 residents and
supporters of the project attended the
dedication. Asmundson called forward a
group of children watching the ceremony to
help cut the ribbon. Each took a piece of the
ribbon home.
Before the construction could start,
workers removed approximately 726 tons
of debris from Bellingham Bay. This is
equivalent to more than 518 Volkswagen
Beetles, according to the program.
"This is a great place to bring visitors
because of the view of the bay," Bellingham
resident Norine Morrison said.
Beginning in the summer of 2005, the city
will add a covered picnic shelter and a new
gateway structure on the dock's 10th Street
entrance.
The Citizens of Bellingham Greenway
Program funded the project with grants
including one from the Washington Wildlife
and Recreation Program and the U.S.
Department of Transportation.